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Wednesday, 29 July 2015

OK, so many blogs and articles at the moment are advising us how to pack for the summer holidays - but what about packing for other situations, like a trip into hospital or rehabilitation? Quite different to a holiday essentials list of course, but just as important I think. Here are my top 10 items to pack, based on my experiences. Hope you find them useful!

Ear plugs – wax or foam, depending on how light a sleeper you are – wax are better for blocking out the usual hospital related disruptions.

Eye mask – again, for light sleepers, this can help block out lights from other cubicles, or lights switched on during the night.

Lavender oil/spray – a few drops on the pillow or night clothes can help aid relaxation.

Moisturiser – heating and dry air in hospitals can really dry out the skin – bring a good moisturiser to apply at least twice a day. I brought new Boots Botanics this time, review to follow.

Ipod – relaxing music or meditation apps can help to block out noise, calm your mind, lift the mood, or help induce sleep. I particularly like Relax Lite, available for both Apple and Android . Equally, upbeat music can help with motivation before or during physiotherapy sessions.

Reading material – a good book can be helpful at night time especially if you’ve no TV available, and magazines can help pass the time on a quiet afternoon or visitor-free evening.

Netflix – if you have a tablet or laptop, try signing up for a free month with Netflix if you haven’t already – plenty of choice there to pass some time, and you can cancel afterwards if you choose to. Of course, I did this a year ago, and I'm still signed up. Just can't help myself.

Hand-held/travel fan – hospitals can be like a sauna regardless of the weather or season. Avoid the open/close window debates and have your own little fan at hand when needed, especially at night time. Don’t forget spare batteries.

Chargers – probably one of the most important on the list, chargers. Don’t forget all your electronic devices will run low pretty fast in there, so make sure you have a charger for each or at least one that suits them all.

Goodies – hospital food is a bit hit-and-miss at the best of times. If you have the facility, bring some of your own favourites to store in a fridge, or some snacks for your bedside locker - (learn from my mistake and remember fruit and chocolate won’t survive too long in that heat). Plenty of water too is obviously important, especially if you’re doing physiotherapy every day.

Obviously this is a short list, compared to the size of the bag I ended up with. I could list more but we'd be here all day.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

So, the good news I’d been waiting for has arrived.Another year of student life awaits me in
September.I must be the only student
who looks forward to start of term.

Lots to look forward to though, with new experiences in the fashion
industry to enjoy.Lots of deadlines
too, but we survived them the first time round. We'll be grand.

It’s funny, if you told me a year ago, I’d have taken myself out
of my comfortable long term desk job to head back to college, no way would I
have believed you.Not to mention doing
it twice.

Quite the challenge, as it happens, but do-able all the same.How many of us sit in work dreaming of a
different (or better?) life, but most of us don’t believe we could actually
make it happen.

I’m still not sure I can make it happen to be honest, but I’m
gonna try it anyway.

What have I got to lose, apart from a few months’ salary?

They say a change is as good as a rest.My Nana used to say that anyway, and she was
right about pretty much everything.

Hard as it is to carry on the routine 9-5 job in groundhog day
fashion, stepping away from it can be even harder.

Not least by losing the steady income, but the friends and
colleagues you’ve seen every day for years. The same routine, same
expectations. Good or bad as they may be.

Leaving all that familiarity behind for a while can be scary but
exciting at the same time. Moving into a totally different world with new
people, new routines and new expectations.

As the world’s worst over-thinker, I ask myself the doubting questions
at least twice a day.Will I be able for
this? Am I doing the right thing? Will I live up to their expectations and my
own?

Worth reminding myself of the exam results from last year, guess I
can’t be doing too badly.

There’s only one way to answer these questions though, and it
isn’t by mulling over them at 2 am on a Sunday night.

Guess I need to re-evaluate my own expectations sometimes.I’ve never been one for risk-taking, but with
a bit of planning behind it, I’m about to take my second in a year.

I’ve no idea what this next academic year will hold, (and I might
be better off not knowing for now).I’m
sure there will be some stress, a few challenges and some last minute panicky
moments, but we’ll get through them.It’s
worth these moments for something you love to do. And it’s taken me long enough
to figure out what I love to do.

I may be back sitting at a desk again this time next year, but
even so, I’d have the satisfaction of knowing I can survive out of the little
office bubble.

No more office clothes for me for the next nine months. Time to switch around the wardrobe again soon, pack away the admin assistant and take the student back out. Maybe even a bit of shopping, before I go back to living off pot noodles and toast.

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

As I approach my next round of physio and rehabilitation treatment, I’ve been thinking back on the early days and the profound effect it has had on my life.

In most cases, being in hospital is seen as a negative thing, but the rehab experience can be quite the opposite at times. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fully aware of the struggles and obstacles people are facing during their treatment, but I’ve always been surprised by the sense of mutual support among the patients during my time there.